Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) J. Livingood
Request for Comments: 6589 Comcast
Category: Informational April 2012
ISSN: 2070-1721
Considerations for Transitioning Content to IPv6
Abstract
This document describes considerations for the transition of end-user
content on the Internet to IPv6. While this is tailored to address
end-user content, which is typically web-based, many aspects of this
document may be more broadly applicable to the transition to IPv6 of
other applications and services. This document explores the
challenges involved in the transition to IPv6, potential migration
tactics, possible migration phases, and other considerations. The
audience for this document is the Internet community generally,
particularly IPv6 implementers.
Status of This Memo
This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is
published for informational purposes.
This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force
(IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has
received public review and has been approved for publication by the
Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Not all documents
approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet
Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 5741.
Information about the current status of this document, any errata,
and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at
http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6589.
Livingood Informational [Page 1]RFC 6589 Transitioning Content to IPv6 April 2012Copyright Notice
Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
document authors. All rights reserved.
This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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described in the Simplified BSD License.
Livingood Informational [Page 2]RFC 6589 Transitioning Content to IPv6 April 2012Table of Contents
1. Introduction ....................................................4
2. Challenges When Transitioning Content to IPv6 ...................4
2.1. IPv6-Related Impairment ....................................5
2.2. Operational Maturity Concerns ..............................5
2.3. Volume-Based Concerns ......................................5
3. IPv6 Adoption Implications ......................................6
4. Potential Migration Tactics .....................................6
4.1. Solving Current End-User IPv6 Impairments ..................7
4.2. Using IPv6-Specific Names ..................................8
4.3. Implementing DNS Resolver Whitelisting .....................8
4.3.1. How DNS Resolver Whitelisting Works ................11
4.3.2. Similarities to Content Delivery Networks
and Global Server Load Balancing ...................15
4.3.3. Similarities to DNS Load Balancing .................15
4.3.4. Similarities to Split DNS ..........................15
4.3.5. Related Considerations .............................16
4.4. Implementing DNS Blacklisting .............................17
4.5. Transitioning Directly to Native Dual Stack ...............18
5. Potential Implementation Phases ................................19
5.1. No Access to IPv6 Content .................................19
5.2. Using IPv6-Specific Names .................................19
5.3. Deploying DNS Resolver Whitelisting Using Manual
Processes .................................................19
5.4. Deploying DNS Resolver Whitelisting Using
Automated Processes .......................................19
5.5. Turning Off DNS Resolver Whitelisting .....................20
5.6. Deploying DNS Blacklisting ................................20
5.7. Fully Dual-Stack Content ..................................20
6. Other Considerations ...........................................20
6.1. Security Considerations ...................................20
6.2. Privacy Considerations ....................................21